Impulse
by BornOnTheBreakOfDawn
Summary: Spoiler warning: chapter 63 of the OHSHC manga "If we're not family...then what kind of love is it?" What if Tamaki let his feelings flow out of him after he unconsciously caressed Haruhi's cheek? What could have happened next? R and R. TamaHaru.


**Impulse**

Spoiler Warning: This story may contain parts that can be considered as spoilers for non-manga readers.

_Please refer to the part of the Ouran Manga (chapter 63) with the New Year visit to the Asakusa Shrine, with Tamaki and Haruhi talking, after giving the ootoro (fatty tuna) ring…_

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club and neither does its characters. I only own the idea or the plot for this story here.

Author's Note: This can be considered as one of those "what-if" types of stories. I'd be happy if you review, comment, suggest, correct or give constructive criticism about my work but please, don't include flames. I'm not a pro at this type of thing. I write just for the sake of enjoyment. Thank you.

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"_If we're not family, what kind of love is it?"_

Hikaru's words rang inside Tamaki's head. As he continued to contemplate on 'what kind of love' that he has for the girl next to him, his body started to betray him and acted on its own. His left hand suddenly went to Haruhi's cheek, caressing it a bit, and Haruhi was surprised at the touch.

"Sen – ", she was suddenly cut off with an abrupt kiss given by the half-blooded Host Club King. But he pulled back as quick as he leaned himself in to meet her lips. He felt that his eyes were equally wide as hers, after encountering such an unexpected event. He started to act frantically and then pulled his head down, almost aligning with his knees and hid his face. He had to avoid Haruhi's face at that moment because that was certainly an embarrassing predicament.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm very sorry Haruhi! My body acted on impulse and I wasn't thinking clearly making my body betray me. Surely you now must think of me as someone perverted. It might strengthen that previous impression of yours towards me as a 'kissing fiend'. I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore."

Haruhi already looked away when Tamaki did likewise before his apology. She hid her face because she knew that her face started to warm up as if a blush is creeping onto her face. She took a sideward glance at his direction when he heard him apologize to her. After his apology, he stood up and was about to take his leave when Haruhi suddenly called his name.

"Tamaki…" she said.

The said male heard this and slowly turned to face her, disbelieving his ears because of what he has heard.

'Did she just…call me by my first name only?'

When he looked at her, she was still facing away from him but he knew that her focus was still on him. Then he heard her speak up again.

"Tamaki…did you…" she started.

He began to anticipate her next lines would become something ridiculing and hurtful. Despite his thoughts, he stayed put to listen to what she was about to say. It would seem rude if someone has to talk to you and you would just take your leave. But from what had happened earlier, he had already done something rude to her, kissing her so abruptly, becoming like a pervert in her sight. But her next words caught him totally off-guard.

"Did you regret what you did?"

This time, she finally had the guts to face him. His eyes went wide with surprise. She stared at him for a long time, seeming to wait for his answer. He seemed to be a bit confused with her words and so for the very first time, the loquacious King of the Ouran Host Club only responded to her with a,

"Huh…?"

She sighed.

"You were apologizing so much a while ago. So, did you regret what you did – with me?"

If it was even possible for his eyes to grow even wider than they are at the moment, well, it felt to him that they did. He was again caught dumbfounded by such question, making him unable to respond to her question immediately. There were two primary reasons why he couldn't answer right away: first, he was surprised by her reaction and lastly, he had no idea what to say. He was thinking long and hard what he was going to answer to her. Everything might change between them after giving her his answer. Well, as if what he did earlier didn't cause change to their current relationship. He was truly confused on what to say. His mind was clouded and highly troubled. But when he stared into her big chocolate-colored eyes, a realization suddenly hit him hard, like a tidal wave, and gradually eased his troubled state. And with that simple sentence, nothing will ever be the same again between the two…

"No, I don't regret what I did."

It was evident that Haruhi was surprised by his answer. Her eyes show the feelings that she kept within. But what surprised Tamaki more was, before, her eyes were wide with bewilderment but after hearing his response, they started to soften towards him. And then another unexpected action of hers took place. She smiled at him. She actually smiled at him. Tamaki was sure a while ago that she might get horrendously angry with him because of what he did but a smile was totally unexpected. Why did she smile?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand softly touching his. It was another case of his brain having left his body again. He wasn't able to sense that Haruhi moved from her previous spot, sitting on the bench to standing in front of him, holding his hand. Then she smiled more warmly towards him. Suddenly he felt a twinge of guilt inside of him. He wasn't able to hold it anymore and so he unexpectedly shouted at her. He pulled his hand immediately from her touch and got angry. The usual calm and cheerful Tamaki got angry, to Haruhi, no less.

"Why are you smiling? I don't deserve your smile! I was unbelievably rude to you earlier. You didn't deserve that. I don't deserve your forgiveness even though I already asked for it. What I did to you was a disgrace."

He noticed, even for a short while, the look of hurt on Haruhi's face. But then she still managed to continue to smile. She still reached for his hand and held unto it tight.

"I thought you didn't regret what you did?"

Tamaki was the one who looked pained at this point.

"I…took advantage of you…don't you find it offending at all?"

"You did say that it was an action created by impulse. I don't think you took advantage of me. You acted only to what your heart had told you even if your head wasn't able to control it."

He again was caught in surprise. Did she just look through him? She didn't get angry at him but instead, she calmly and logically talked to him about it. And to top it all off, it seemed that she wasn't depressed with the whole predicament at all. She continued to speak.

"I know that it was a bit quick…and I sort of admit that I agree to what you said earlier. If it was just anybody, I would have considered it as rude and offensive. But it wasn't just anybody who did it. It was _you_."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been actually doing a lot of thinking lately. Maybe this might add to your ego-boosting but I admit that my thoughts have been invaded by you."

"You've been…thinking about me?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"You did surprise me by starting a topic about Hikaru's confession to me right?"

He blushed a bit because it was kind of awkward to be raising that issue up again. But wait, why was he feeling a bit uneasy towards Hikaru's move on her despite him being rejected afterwards?

"Well, I sort of did."

"That time at the year end party at their place was the time that I gave him my answer. In your case, from what you've heard from him I guess, my rejection."

He let her continue on, unsure at how things will end up here.

"After he received my answer, he asked me one life-changing question."

"What was that?"

"He asked me, 'do you love milord?'"

Tamaki's jaw dropped. Haruhi giggled a bit at the sight. But he quickly regained his composure so that he can hear the rest of the story.

"I didn't give a straight answer right away at that time."

"But…you did answer him, nonetheless?"

"Sort of…"

"What did you answer?"

"Maybe you'll be a little hurt of what I told him. I said that I do 'respect' you…but…most of the time I find you obnoxious."

His face faulted. 'Obnoxious' she says…again… (1)

"But…after the conversation, despite that weird turn of events with you having that 'joy-pee' issue…"

Tamaki's face became red, feeling very embarrassed at the memory.

"I thought back of my answer to Hikaru…actually, during the time I had a fever, I remembered thanking you for the different times that you helped me."

'So she wasn't going delirious then?'

"I thought, 'maybe, the feeling that grew in my heart for you wasn't really respect, but perhaps…something more…'"

She took a half step closer to him. He suddenly went tense but he didn't move an inch.

"I couldn't tell it at first if what I feel is…umm, what I think I feel. But with what happened just now, it smacked me suddenly on the face, the reality of what I truly feel…"

He took a deep breath, anticipating for her next words.

"You acted on impulse because you surely have felt something…something, that even your brain wasn't able to control?"

He contemplated for a bit and then nodded.

"What were you thinking then – or perhaps the right question would be…what were you feeling then?"

He stumbled with his words.

"I – was kind of confused with Hikaru's remark before. I'm… totally aware that we're not a family bonded by blood. But if we're not 'family'…umm… what type of 'love' am I feeling… most especially towards you?"

Haruhi was shocked at his 'confession'. But since he was at least able to think about it, maybe…just maybe…

"What did you feel when you kissed me?"

He blushed.

"I…"

She tried to make things a bit easier for him.

"Did it cross your mind that you wanted to kiss me because of paternal instincts?"

"Well…I sort of did…when I visited you at your apartment, with that 'France' incident."

She was surprised. He actually thought of kissing her but only as a father? But…it might be understandable if he kissed only on the forehead…

"But…how about…now…you kissed me on the lips didn't you? If it were your paternal instincts kicking in, don't you think it is like…incest?"

He looked away in shame. She made him look back at her again by holding his hand a bit tighter.

"What I was trying to say was…did you feel like a 'father' when you kissed me on the lips? Or did you feel like you were kissing me like a 'man' who is in love with a 'woman'."

He tried to digest everything she said to him. Then a realization dawned upon him. True, he didn't feel like a 'father' when he had the impulse of kissing her on the lips…perhaps, it was the other option…

'Does that mean…I'm…in love with Haruhi?'

Haruhi looked at his thoughtful expression. But when she noticed a change on his face, seeming to have realized something, she smiled at him. He noticed her smile and then smiled back.

"I will continue to where I left off before…about the 'respect' sort of feeling towards you. I realized that 'respect' wasn't the real thing that I felt for you but instead it was – "

She was cut-off suddenly when he finished her sentence.

"…love?"

Her smile brightened.

"Do you…feel the same way…towards me?"

He leaned forward, with their foreheads already touching.

"Yes."

And with that, they closed the gap again with their lips touching. They were completely oblivious to their surroundings; it didn't matter to them if people started to look their way. All that mattered to them at that moment was each other.

In a short distance from the now new young couple, a young man was hiding behind a tree, staring at them and felt defeated. He felt a hand rested on his shoulder and turned to face the newcomer, realizing it was his brother.

"Kaoru…" he said.

Kaoru just smiled at him and turned towards the back, both looking at the rest of the Host Club members plus Mei, also having witnessed the display by Tamaki and Haruhi.

Honey went closer to Kaoru's brother.

"Hika-chan…" his voice sounded a bit sad but also had a feel of happiness along with it.

Mori too went closer and just ruffled Hikaru's hair and gave him a small smile. Mei also approached Hikaru and gave him a pat on the back.

"You're taking it as a 'real man'. I'm proud of you."

Hikaru smiled a bit sadly at her.

"Thanks Mei."

Kyouya just pushed up his glasses, also approaching towards Hikaru and smirked.

"It seemed that Tamaki is the winner to this game…and he didn't even have to spend a single yen." (2)

Hikaru looked at his friends then turned back to the couple before them. He heaved out a heavy sigh but smiled afterwards and said,

"Yeah, I know…"

End

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Date started: January 1, 2009

Date ended: January 1, 2009

Date edited: January 2, 2009

Author's notes: (reference to the numbers)

(1) _refer to Tamaki and Haruhi's first meeting in volume 1 or in the first episode of the anime_

(2) _Kyouya still didn't know back then about the ootoro ring that Tamaki bought. But technically speaking, in this story, it's not the ootoro ring that made Haruhi happy. So it's true that Tamaki didn't have to spend a single yen to buy something just to make her happy._


End file.
